Basketball backstop



Nov. 1, 1960 H. N. WIKELUND 2,958,528

BASKETBALL BACKSTOP Filed March 17, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 W A W m vE/v TOR. HA /70M? N. W/KEL U/VD BYW ATTOP/VEIW 1950 H. N. WIKELUND 2,958,528

BASKETBALL BACKSTOP Filed March 17, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 //V l E/V 7'02 HAROLD N. W/KELU/VD 4 77'0RNEH Nov. 1, 1960 H. N. WIKELUND 2,958,528

BASKETBALL BACKSTOP Filed March 17, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 fig 3 //V VE/Y TOR.

#49040 N. w/xrau/va United States Patent 1 BASKETBALL BACKSTOP Harold N. Wikelund, Des Moines, Iowa, assiguor to Barlliler-Colman Company, Rockford, Ill., a corporation of Filed Mar. 17, 1958, Ser. No. 721,921

2 Claims. (Cl. 273-15) My invention relates to improvements in basketball backstops.

In some basketball courts or gymnasiums where this sport is played, it is desirable at times to elevate or remove the baskets and backstops in order to eliminate their interference with or obstruction of view of other activities for which the court might be used. In this respect one of the important objects contemplated by this invention is to provide an improved means for elevating the backstop and basket to an inconspicuous position completely out of the Way for any other sport or activities that might be taking place on the basketball playing floor.

More particularly it is an object herein to provide a backstop assembly pivotally suspended from supporting structure with hydraulic means for swinging such assembly up to the plane of the supporting structure.

A further object is the provision of locking means for holding the backstop rigid when in use and for securing it in non operable position.

Another object is to provide a backstop of the above class wherein the locking means are controlled by solenoids, the hydraulic lifting mechanism is electrically operated, and the solenoids are automatically controlled by operation of the hydraulic lift.

Other objects and advantages of this invention reside Fig. 1 and for purposes of description rail 18 will be referred to as the rear rail and member 20 as the front rail, it being understood that assembly 14 will be located at one end of the playing court so that member 20 will be the closest to the field of play. Rail 18 is 1 preferably a single length of angle iron secured to beams in the details of construction and correlation of the various parts and will be apparent as the description proceeds.

This invention consists of novel parts and combination of parts tobe hereinafter described whereby the objects set forth are attained, as pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of this invention shown in operable position,

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view thereof showing the same in solid lines in operable position and in broken lines showing it elevated to non operable position,

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view.

Fig. 4 is a top plan view taken from the line 44 of 1, and

Fig. 5 is a top view, partlyin section, of the basket and backboard taken from the line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Referring to the drawings the parallel spaced beams 10 and 12 represent elements in the building structure disposed: overhead relative to the playing surface of a basketball court (not shown) and these are utilized for supporting the backstop assembly which is designated generally by the numeral 14. Since the basket 16 of assembly 14 is required by rules of the game to be at the ten foot level above the playing floor it may be necessary in cases where beams 10 and 12 are very high to secure additional framework or structure thereto in depending relationship but this in no way affects the structure or operation of assembly 14 other than to position it properly relative to the playing floor.

A pair of parallel spaced rail or beam members 18 and 20 are secured to the underside of beams 10 and 12 transversely of the longitudinal axis thereof as shown in 10 and 12 in any suitable manner such as by bolts 22, and member 28 preferably comprises a pair of angle iron rails 24' and 26 closely adjacent in parallel spaced relationship to form the corridor or passageway 28 as shown in Fig. 4. Rails 24 and 26 are similarly secured as rail 18 to beams 10 and 12 by bolts 30.

An elongated frame member 32 for supporting the backboard 34 and basket 16 comprises preferably a main tubular or pipe length 36 pivotally secured at one end which I will call the upper end to and between rails 24 and 26 (Fig. 4) substantially midway between beams 10 and 12. Pins 38 and 40 and washers 42, 44, 46 and 48 are used in a well known manner. At the lower end of pipe 36 the backboard 34 is rigidly secured by means of a plurality of braces 50 connected to the rear of board 34 in spaced relation, braced together as at 52 and converging to clamp means 54 which embrace pipe 36 as shown in Fig. 5. Clamp 54 includes teeth members 56 for tightly engaging pipe 36 in order to hold the backboard 34 in proper position relative to the playing field. Structure 32 also includes a rear frame piece 58 (Figs. 1 and 3), preferably of tubular material for lightness, which projects behind pipe 36 toward rail 18 and away from backboard 34. Frame members 36 and 58 are reinforced by a plurality of cross bracing 60. Another brace arm 62 is pivotally connected at respective opposite ends to frame piece 58 intermediate its ends as at 64 and to rear rail 18 at 66. Thus far described, it will be understood that structure 32 depends vertically from the overhead support when in use as shown in Fig. l, backboard 34 is secured against slipping out of position which will be perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the playing floor, and brace 62 securely holds structure 32 against any forward or rear movement which would be parallel to the longitudinal axis of the playing floor.

To move structure 32 with the backboard 34 and basket '16 out of operable position, pipe 36 is swung on pins 38 and 40 laterally relative to the playing floor or parallel to rails 24 and 26 as shown in the broken line position of Fig. 2. This is accomplished by a one way hydraulic jack indicated generally by numeral 68. The jack used comprises the usual cylinder 78 and rod 72, and is automatically operated by a self contained electric motor 74. Such a jack is commercially available and no invention is claimed to the same per se. Cylinder 70 is pivotally mounted in passageway 28 intermediate rails 24 and 26 to upstanding bearing ears 76 and 78 on such respective rails and is off-set from the top of pipe 36 in the direction toward which structure 32 is to swing. Thus mounted, the major portion of cylinder 70 projects upwardly from rails 24 and 26 and rod 72 extends downwardly through passageway 28 where a clevis-like or U bracket 80 on its outer end is pivotally engaged with pipe 36 at its upper portion spaced below pins 38 and 40 (Fig. 1). Motor 74 will be connected to a source of electric power through line 82 in which is interposed a switch 84 that may be located at any convenient place. Thus when switch 84 is closed, motor 74 is actuated with rod 72 being retracted to move structure 32 to inoperable position.

In moving structure to and from its operable position, an important feature of this invention is the automatically operated catch means employed to hold the same in inoperable position and to further brace the same in operable position.

Two solenoid operated pawls or catches, 86 and 88 respectively (Figs. 1 and 2) are mounted between rails 24 and 26 in passageway 28 at respective opposite sides of the top of pipe 36, pawl 88 being in the same direction as jack assembly 68 and pawl 86 being on the opposite side. Also between r-ails 24 and 26 is an L shaped stop 90 engageable by a hook head 92 on the free end of a rigid brace 94 which connects at its other end 96 to one side of pipe 36 below bracket 80. Brace 94 is used to hold structure 32 against any lateral sway when in operable position or in other words against movement that would be transversely of the longitudinal axis of the playing floor and together with brace 62 as described holds structure 32 against sway in any direction when in use. On pipe 36 opposite point 96 is a hook 98 which engages pawl 88 when structure 32 is elevated to non operable position and holds it in that position until released.

Catches 86 and 88 are of a usual type with the respective pawls being spring loaded for normally urging them to extended position and being retractable when the solenoid is actuated in a well known manner. No invention is claimed to such catches per se but their general function and operation with this invention are as follows: the solenoid feature is used only for unlatching catches 86 and 88 and the latching is accomplished by engagement of the respective hooks 92 and 98 against the respective spring loaded pawls for which purposes both the pawls and hooks will have beveled engaging surfaces as shown. With structure 32 in operable position (Fig. 1) hook 92 is bearing against stop 90 and is held from displacement therein by pawl 86 engaging the hooked portion thereon. When switch 84 is closed, a time delay means of a few seconds incorporated in the solenoid of pawl 86 permits pawl 86 to be withdrawn from hook 92 before motor 74 is actuated. Thereafter, structure 32 is elevated by jack assembly 68 as described until hook 98 engages and is secured by pawl 88 where structure 32 is completely out of the way relative to the playing field and is parallel to rails 24 and 26. From this position, when switch is again opened, pawl 88 is released from hook 98 whereupon structure 32 returns by gravity to operable position with book 92 becoming engaged by pawl 86 as described. During the movement of structure 32 from non operable to operable position by gravity, there is sufficient resistance by the displacement of fluid in jack assembly 68 that structure 32 is actually eased downwardly into place. Thus while the jack 68 is mechanically operated only to elevate structure 32, it also serves as a brake means in yieldingly retarding its downward movement.

It is submitted that the invention shown and described is aptly suited to achieve the purposes intended and is characterized by a combination of highly useful andmutually cooperating elements that combine their respective and proportionate functions in accomplishing the objects sought to be obtained.

It will be understood that the phraseology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not for limitation and that modifications and changes in the construction and arrangement of this invention can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit and purpose thereof. It is thus intended to cover by'the claims, any modified forms of structure or mechanical equivalents which may be reason ably included within their scope.

I claim:

1. A basketball backstop assembly having in combination, an overhead support, an elongated frame pivotally secured at one end to said support so as to be swingable as a pendulum in relation thereto, a backboard with a basket on the opposite end of said frame, said frame depending from said support when in operable position and movable to the plane of said support when in non-operable position, a brace member pivotally secured at respective opposite ends to said overhead support and elongated frame to hold said frame against movement in two opposite directions when in operable position, releasable catch means on said support, brace means connected at one end to said frame and extending angularly upward so as to be engageable at the other end with said catch means when said backstop is in operable position, a second releasable catch means on said support engageable with said elongated frame when in nonoperable position, a hydraulic jack on said support operatively connected to said frame by a rigid operating rod pivotally attached to said frame so as to permit said frame to be moved from the operative to non-operative position upon actuation of said jack, means to release said catches prior to the actuation of said jack to permit movement of said elongated frame, said frame being movable by gravity from non-operative to operative position, said hydraulic jack serving as a yielding brake means on the movement of said frame by gravity.

2. A basketball backstop assembly having in combination, a support including two spaced front rails and a substantially parallel rear rail adapted to be attached to the ceiling beams of a building, an elongated frame depending from said support when in operable position, said frame having front and rear bars interconnected by a plurality of cross bracing, the front bar being pivotally secured at one end between said spaced front rails so as to permit the elongated frame to pivot between a raised, non-operable position and a lowered position, a backboard and basket adjustably attached in spaced relationship to the opposite end of said front bar by a plurality of braces, a rigid brace pivotally connected at one end to the rear bar of said elongated frame and extending rearwardly at an angle therefrom, said brace being pivotally connected at its opposite end to the rear rail of said support, an electrically operated hydraulic jack pivotally supported between the front rails of said support, said jack being operatively connected to the front bar of said elongated frame by a rigid operating rod pivotly attached to said front bar so as to permit said frame to be moved thereby from the operable position to an inoperable position in the plane of said support upon actuation of said hydraulic jack, hook means carried on opposite sides of the front bar of said elongated frame, and spring-loaded, solenoid containing pawl means attached to the front rail of said support, said spring loaded pawl means being automatically engageable with said hook means to rigidly lock the elongated frame in-either the operative or non-operative position, the solenoid of said pawl means being electrically connected to said hydraulic jack and timed to release said pawl means from said hook means just prior to the actuation of said jack.

References Cited in the file. of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

